I hope they allow camera at Worlds because I'll bring my camera with really bright flash with me and be all obnoxious about it. And then flash the hell out of any skaters standing on Rachael's way to the podium.

Ah, now that I'm well-rested and feeling chipper again I can now talk even more indepthly about the competition, the participants, the ambience, et al.

Hmm, where to start, I think I will do so by recalling some first impressions I had.

..

Daisuke Takahashi I've been reflecting on all afternoon, lol. Seriously, it makes me wonder if that's what it was like to see Elvis Presley in person, especially when he was younger, just starting out? It's like he has these pheromones that attract both women & men. ....

Rachael Flatt has a similar appeal to Daisuke Takahashi, and I'm NOT lying, but in a different way. She too exudes a charm/a charisma, but hers is more girl-next-door combined with a Doris Day type of appeal. She exudes charm, confidence, a likeable affability, and just pure friendliness. And she too has a sex appeal, but not as pronounced as Daisuke Takahashi's, more like she doesn't know it, if that makes sense, lol. Seriously, the guy sitting behind my niece was whistling & cat-calling to Rachael. And in person she is gorgeous, made even moreso because she literally radiates, like a burst of light is coming from her. ...

Nadine, I _so_ enjoyed your posts about Rachael at Skate America and am glad she is so radiant in person. I've always liked her and as I know I've posted about before, when I made my non-skatefan DH watch both Rachael's and Mirai's programs from last season, he was pretty equally taken by both of them, just commenting that they were different but both great -- that is, that Rachael was equally appealing but not in Mirai's lithe/lissome way but still a charismatic performer with good programs and just simply a different style.

But I wanted to chime in lest your comments on Daisuke go unremarked that -- yeah, Dai has that sex appeal thing. In spades. Absolutely. I can't put a finger on it as you did so well, it's just that while I don't necessarily find him classically handsome, and can't point to a defining feature like he's got great eyes or great hair or whatever, still I must say just wow to the overall package. Oh, yeah. He's got it.

Ok, everyone else can go back to the serious photography stuff and points analysis and all, just had to interject my completely frivolous reactions ...

I hope they allow camera at Worlds because I'll bring my camera with really bright flash with me and be all obnoxious about it. And then flash the hell out of any skaters standing on Rachael's way to the podium.

I am a huge D&W fan and these programs are doing nothing for me. They are boring. I hope Marlie can get their spark back. I am loving the Shibs and I think Samuelson and Bates will have a fight on their hands next season for that #2 US dance team spot. I loved S&H in the pairs. It is beyond wonderful to see a pairs team who is that young with that level of performance skill. They nailed that country dance!

I rewatched the Skate America D&W FD-the first time I watched it, my heart was in my mouth, worrying about them because they screwed up in the SD, and just about the time I relaxed enough to enjoy the show they fell. I also rewatched the NHK version.

NHK version still does not thrill me at all; they were being way too careful and not performing it, IMO.

When I rewatched the Skate America, I found the part of the dance up to the fall was definitely better, and I was liking it a lot. After the fall, D&W went back to being careful, and the dance went back to being uninteresting.

I am a huge D&W fan and these programs are doing nothing for me. They are boring. I hope Marlie can get their spark back. I am loving the Shibs and I think Samuelson and Bates will have a fight on their hands next season for that #2 US dance team spot. I loved S&H in the pairs. It is beyond wonderful to see a pairs team who is that young with that level of performance skill. They nailed that country dance!

"change your dam choreographer" was the first thing that came on my mind afer watching their dances at skate america. I confess that they had alot of "spark" in 08/09/10 but this season their programs and their look simply don't reflect this anymore.

I'm glad Doris and L'amour said this as I thought maybe it was me. At first I thought that my feeling were just because their last year's POTO FD was one of the best skates I had ever seen....a tough act to follow.....
makes me want a digitally enhanced DVD of the best ice dancers from the 1990-2006 from Russia, Italy and France to compare them to.

On my score card, I've liked most of their programs by the end of the season, with the exception of their Kalinka OD. However, both Rigby and POTO grew massively throughout the season and as they did, I became very fond of both.

Eleanor Rigby at Skate America was not a big hit. It was marginally better at TEB. At Nationals, it was a darn revelation!! with Dick Button getting all worked up about it in a very amusing way.

So I'm not giving up on their FD. BTW, I like their SD already, although they haven't yet given a great performance of it, as much as I like any of these mutant hybrid short dances.